Ventura Elementary continues to do battle with two foes that are unlikely to change anytime soon — a relatively high percentages of poor families and English language learners — both of which affect its chances at performing well on standardized tests such as the FCAT.

It took only a few clicks of the mouse to book flights and accommodations that made the customer and his wallet happy. Ah, those were the days. Now fuel costs break records daily and as we move into the heavy summer travel season, consumers will have to do much more clicking and way more research to find deals that meet their budget.

To 8-year-old Steven Henderson, a fishing trip with his father meant the world. He was ecstatic when they picked out his very first pole at the store. But the poles never touched water. They stayed in the garage, rusting. Henderson, now 28, is convinced that if his parents spent more time with him he never would have joined a gang, he never would have had to fight other men to show his worth, he never would have stolen from others or lived in fear once he left his gang for good.

The long-sought remedy to the congestive ills along South Alafaya Trail, as well as the need to improve access to the overall highway network, may soon be at hand. At an East Orlando Chamber of Commerce town hall meeting, serving both as a source of information and as a rally to arouse community support, it was announced that a connector road will be completed by late summer 2009, creating the critical link between the Alafaya Trail extension and the BeachLine Expressway.

As a child, Lalita Booth never minded being poor because she never knew the alternative. The home she was born in was foreclosed on and her parents lived like nomads — leaving town or even the state when eviction notices piled up or jobs were lost. Her current apartment is the 80th home in which she has lived.

After weeks of bottle-feeding and private attention, it was hard for the 2-month-old river otter to adjust to his new family. Last Thursday Ron Hardee, director of the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center of Central Florida in Christmas, released the otter into a room with eight other abandoned otters.

Jean Pijeau recalled that the city streets in Baghdad were unusually quiet that day, right before his unit was ambushed. Bullets sprayed the soldiers, killing two of his friends. Pijeau was hit twice in the legs but he didn’t fall, tugging his buddy to safety.

Orlando’s Pearl Factory stopped most gold orders and hung tags on some of its best sellers, nearly doubling the price. Like many jewelers, they are feeling the pinch of the 2008 Gold Rush. On the flip side, people nationwide are emptying their dusty jewelry boxes and cashing in gold that perhaps has not seen the light of day in decades.

Illuminada Rivera lives in fear of an intruder breaking into her home. It’s not that the 66-year-old woman is afraid of a home burglary or some other nefarious scheme. Rather, she is worried about an accident that would cause a vehicle to crash into her home that is located on the sharp curve of Dahlia Drive.

To Tim Brown, a table full of day-old Publix bread means a lot. She and her son, Cody Brutout — a bright 9-year-old with a litany of medical problems — attend weekly food giveaways at Woodbury Presbyterian Church and Union Park First Baptist Church to stock their pantry.